Someone is Sleeping in My Pain: Exposure of Westernization

Someone is Sleeping in My Pain: Exposure of Westernization

Someone is Sleeping in My Pain: an East-West Macbeth (referred to henceforth as SSMP), directed by Michael Roes, is an experimental, multilingual adaptation of William Shakespeare’s iconic Scottish tragedy, Macbeth, set in the Middle East. While Shakespeare’s work is argued to be universal in its ability to be performed cross-culturally, Roes’ adaption of this work proves that the Bard’s stories can be transformed, but not directly translated from one language or culture directly. This performance of Macbeth exists as a layered experience of a play within a film of a play. Set in the rural, mountainous region of Yemen, SSMP documents an American “director,” played by actor, Andreá Smith, an accomplished dancer, as he tries to put on a production of Macbeth using local Yemeni people as his cast for the show. The film shows his journey to this country and centers on his experience working with the locals to produce a version of the play.

Shakespeare is known for having written plays that transported its audiences to far away places like Italy, Denmark, and Greece, but what’s striking about this version of the Bard’s work, is Roes’ choice of setting the film in the Middle East, specifically rural Yemen. This setting is secluded, rich with beautiful landscape, and is populated with local Arab people, but the parallels to the Scottish version of Macbeth come into play when an American outsider inserts himself into the landscape of Yemen, similar to that of the English overcoming the Scottish and projecting their way of life and customs on the harsher, grittier environment of Scotland. While similar to the initial plot of Macbeth, the use of an Smith’s character displays attempted Westernization of the Middle East. Filmed during heightened tension between the United States and the Middle East, the production tries to make global connections.

The film is quite aware of itself in that Smith’s character comes across as patronizing, trying to teach the locals Shakespeare by feeding them English lines without access to a translated script. It shows the locals attempts at making foreign sounds and trying to understand the language and plot behind Macbeth without being able to ground themselves in the story being told. As the film fluxes in and out of film and play, there is a clear sensation of disorder and an entrance into a wonky world. SSMP cinematographer, Manfred A. Hagbeck comments on the haziness of the film stating, "the boundaries between the documentation of the work and the staged story become increasingly blurred. The action of the feature film is reflected in the way it is produced, in the Macbeth-like ambition of the director.”

Within the play, there isn’t necessarily a clearly defined Macbeth actor. This fluxuates between locals reading for Macbeth and Smith delivering the lines on his own, usually because the locals aren’t able to deliver them in exactly the way that he wants. This also rings true in terms of casting. One of the most iconic and prominent roles within the play Macbeth, is that of Lady Macbeth, the cunning, sharp, and wicked partner of the play’s namesake. She is fierce and strong and is often praised for being a character that defies gender roles. Since this play is set in the Middle East, and women there don’t traditionally act, men end up portraying Lady Macbeth, which in itself is an inversion of gender roles, but changes the way the role of Lady Macbeth is played and interpreted, as less intense, yet still thought-provoking.

At certain points in the adaption, Smith portrays Lady Macbeth because of a lack of women to play the role and in this displays an inability to accept the limitations placed on him in this foreign setting. Smith, as a character within the film and within the play seems to be lacking authority, shown in his butchering of classic Shakespearean lines and his inability to teach the Yemeni locals the lines correctly even though he should clearly be an expert on the subject of his production. It acts as commentary on American attempts at Westernization in the Middle East and an assertion of power over others even if lacking authority. Even while this happens, there are other scenes entirely in local language, some spoken in English, and others that are a combination of the two, further adding to the nuance of the adaption.

The film is aware of itself in regards to its understanding and interpretation of global politics. It places the viewer in an uncomfortable place of misunderstanding and confusion, but at the same time makes overt commentary on the American traveler visiting a foreign place and trying to change things, assert dominance, and generally stir up trouble.

Delia Curtis

Roes, Michael, director. Someone Is Sleeping in My Pain: An East-West Macbeth. MIT Global Shakespeares, MIT, globalshakespeares.mit.edu/someone-is-sleeping-in-my-pain-roes-michael-2002/.

“Someone is Sleeping in My Pain: An East-West Macbeth.” Someone is Sleeping in My Pain: An East-West Macbeth · British Universities Film & Video Council, The British Universities and Colleges Film and Video Council, bufvc.ac.uk/shakespeare/index.php/title/av67341.